‘Your Name’ director wants to collaborate with SHINee
SEOUL: Makoto Shinkai, Japanese director of megahit animated movie ‘Your Name’ (2016), said he wants to collaborate with K-pop boy band SHINee on his next film.
“I met Jong-hyun of SHINee last time I was in Korea and thought he was a really cool guy,” said Shinkai during a press conference at Imperial Palace Hotel in Seoul, Friday. “I instantly thought I wanted to work with him although it is only a dream for me.”
The Japanese director said many Korean staffers participated in making his successful animated movie.
Sinkai said the cultural commonalities or similar values that Korea and Japan share have brought Korean audiences to watch ‘Your Name’ and made it a box office hit.
“Perhaps, the audience can perceive the Tokyo background in the film as Seoul and Mitsuha’s town of Itomori in Japan’s mountainous Hida region as a similar countryside in Korea. East Asian countries own similar landscapes, culture and value and I think they contributed to my film’s success in Japan as well as in Asia,” said Shinkai.
The film director also added that he does not care much about the nationality of the staff members he works with and treats them all equally.
Another reason he believes ‘Your Name’ has garnered such a big audience is the natural disaster that is dealt with in the story. Shinkai believes disasters like the Sewol ferry sinking in Korea leaves an indelible impact and when people come across another disaster scene onscreen or the news, the audience is more easily engrossed in the story. He said his movie can console audiences and give them hope while contributing to a better future.
“I often get inspiration for my films from natural disasters. However, ‘Your Name’ is based on the story of a boy meeting a girl through a virtual space. The main message in the film is that there are still more people we can meet and if we meet a person tomorrow, this could be a fateful encounter,” said Shinkai.
On a request to advise young animators in Korea, Shinkai stressed the importance of remembering the pain of one’s experiences as people often fail to keep emotions as they age. The director explained that living with strong emotion is essential for storytellers and remembering them comes first and technology and skill will follow.
Shinkai denied that he has special skills in producing a unique content. He said he only focuses on making animations and listening to the audience’s voice and communicating with them.
“A lot of people gave me various reviews on my movies and if you listen to them carefully, it is mostly the audience saying what kind of person he or she is. And when I hear a self-introduction like review, I learn about my audiences. I take that into account in making my next movie and I guess that is what gives my film energy,” said Shinkai.
After ‘Your Name’ hit the Asian box office, many companies requested Shinkai to give special lectures to their employees, but the director turned down most of them. He thinks he doesn’t have much to say and if there is one piece of advice he wants to give it is to think about their consumers.
“Whether you make an animation or a device, the audience will watch the animation and users will buy the device. I think it is important to make what a consumer wants to see or buy. However, producers have to have confidence in what they make. It is my ideal thinking only,” said Shinkai.
Whether you make an animation or a device, the audience will watch the animation and users will buy the device. I think it is important to make what a consumer wants to see or buy. However, producers have to have confidence in what they make. It is my ideal thinking only. — Makoto Shinkai, Japanese director